NEWS / 2015

Our ‘Haydn explosive’ exhibition presents the celebrated composer Joseph Haydn in a refreshingly colorful context. Historical autograph documents, printed sheet music, paintings, drawings and musical instruments are combined with celebrated contemporary artists to form a whole (concept : Herbert Lachmayer). Pop Art artist Roy Lichtenstein’s carpet, paper art by Franz West and others, and above all, the multimedia and sound installations, ensure that your eyes and ears experience a truly ‘explosive’ effect.
The starting point is the life and work of Joseph Haydn at the Esterházy court and in the Europe of his age. As the inventor of the string quartet and reviver of the oratorio, he has influenced the history of music in an enduring way, and during his 40 years of service at the Esterházy court, he also composed operas, symphonies, musical comedies and masses. In addition to that, he wrote music for entertainments at Eszterház palace (Fertöd) and, as master of music, put on over 1000 performances. The Haydn Hall in the Palace at Eisenstadt has a splendid acoustic and is still used for unique concerts.